


The Importance Of Proper Hive Dynamics

by Not_You



Series: Bee People [3]
Category: Hannibal (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Crying, F/M, Grinding, Hand Jobs, Hannibal is Not a Cannibal, Identity Issues, M/M, Making Out, Mental Health Issues, Multi, Non-Traditional Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Queer Themes, Relationship Negotiation, Scent Marking, Someone Helps Will Graham
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-20
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-02-04 17:16:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 6,696
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12775710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: Will is not what he thinks he is, and Hannibal can't believe that he's the only one who notices.





	1. Chapter 1

Really, the situation is obvious. Hannibal has no idea how, even with the great mass of human stupidity in the world, that no one noticed this. Will Graham may have a strange Alpha scent, but the Alphaness is its most definite quality. But because he's small, quiet, male, and has never swarmed, his file has him listed as an atypical (and possibly pathological) Beta. Even with the way he sticks so close to Crawford, not the way Katz, Zeller, and Price do, like good little Betas, but like an unsocialized Alpha, prickly and full of longing. People say that Crawford works that weird Beta of his too hard, and Hannibal wants to wring their necks because Will is an Alpha, and has been left functionally alone so long that it's affecting his health. 

Will smells like fever now, making him even murkier to these legions of noseblind fools. And Alana, who is not a fool, but actually was rendered nearly anosmic by a childhood illness and has never since regained full function. She gets a pass on this one, his sweet Beta buzzing with worry when she called him to come check on Will, that she can't be professional about it at all. This is no time for professionalism, but he hadn't told her that. He had just murmured to her in his best soothing register that he would see to Will, that Alana is an excellent Beta and that he loves her very much.

Now Hannibal stands on Will's porch, looking for signs of life and finding none beyond the barking of the dogs. He tries the door and finds it unlocked, walking into the smell of fever and misery. Will is curled up in a little ball on his bed, and Hannibal's heart seems to twist in his chest. He toes out of his shoes and strips his socks off, tucking them neatly inside and then padding over to the bed.

"Will?" he murmurs, and Will makes an awful, tearing noise in his throat, knotting himself into a tighter ball. He reeks of sick Alpha, and Hannibal sits on the edge of the bed, desperate to touch him but not reaching out. "Do you understand me?"

"Yeah," Will mutters, shivering in his pile of blankets. "I'm so fucked up I'm not sure I'm really talking to you, but I understand."

"May I touch you?" Hannibal asks, keeping his voice as soft and soothing as possible.

"Y-yeah," Will whispers, and the smell of longing is so sharp that it cuts through the sickness.

Hannibal pulls his feet up, bringing his marking pheromones into the bed. He reaches out and puts a hand on the sweaty nape of Will's neck, making him shudder and whine. The poor sweet thing is so hivesick, so desperately lonely with nothing but work and dogs, not recognized by the most important Omega in his life. Hannibal wanted to do this right, but now he's shaking, fighting his instincts is so hard.

"Please..." Will whimpers, barely audible.

"If I... if I mark you," Hannibal pants, "we can talk about the terms when you feel better."

"Yes," Will breathes, and then Hannibal is bringing their foreheads together, pheromones beading on his skin like the sweat on Will's. 

Will whimpers at the contact, and all of his tense muscles go loose at once. He's still feverish, but Hannibal can feel him cooling down, his body finally soothed like it should have been years ago. There are different bonding factors for marking Betas and Alphas as part of one's hive, and using the wrong kind often has this kind of negative health effect. Will keeps making soft, hungry noises, and Hannibal pulls him into his arms. The urge to just let his mating factor go, sweeping them both up into complete madness is hard to fight down, but he does. Will is far too sick for that kind of thing, and instead Hannibal puts his feet all over him to mark him further, each touch easing him a little.

Hannibal doesn't let go of Will until he's deep into a sleep that actually looks restful. Then he carefully disengages himself bit by bit, tiptoeing around to let the dogs out to relieve themselves and to make what he can of Will's sad, sorry groceries. It could be worse, Will does at least have real food in his house. There's all that fish he catches and freezes so neatly and he has such obviously thwarted provider instincts how in the hell has the world missed his true dynamic all this time?

He almost forgets to call Alana, but remembers how worried she was. He isn't expecting to reach her at this time of night, but she picks up on the first ring. "Hannibal?"

"Yes. I'm with Will, and he's all right. He can explain things to you tomorrow, perhaps." He wishes he could send some pheromones to Alana, but he does what he can, soothing his poor frazzled Beta.

By the time Hannibal is ready to crawl back into Will's bed again, he has some prepared dishes and ingredient in the fridge, waiting for Will to hopefully wake up well enough to be hungry. Leaving him to sleep alone is out of the question, however supportive his dogs might be, and Hannibal strips down to his boxer-briefs, wrapping himself around Will, who already smells better. He mumbles soothing nonsense into Will's hair until he drifts into a dream of the sea.


	2. Chapter 2

The morning sunlight on his face and Will's attempts to sit up wake Hannibal in one bright instant, and he keeps his arms looped around Will's waist as they both sit up. Will is sweaty and more than a little clammy, but he's not hot to the touch anymore, and his eyes are much clearer.

"...Hannibal?" he asks, squinting in suspicion at all reality.

"Yes," Hannibal says, unable to keep a fond smile off of his face. He can't help reaching out to stroke Will's hair, either. "Good morning, do you feel better?"

"...Yeah," Will mutters, rubbing absently at his forehead. He looks up through his lashes at Hannibal, artless and shy. "I... do I belong to you now?"

"In the most technical way, yes," Hannibal says, as gently as he can.

Will shivers, a "I... I kinda belong to Jack, but..."

"Jack has no idea what you are," Hannibal says, trying not to snap and only partially succeeding.

"I was gonna say that this feels different," Will mumbles, rubbing a hand over his face. "I.." he suddenly laughs. "Fuck, I haven't felt this at home since my dad died, what the hell."

"That's because I didn't mark you as a Beta, Will."

There is the proverbial pin-drop silence as Will stares at him. "...What."

"You're an atypical Alpha. That's why you were so feverish last night, and you aren't now. Alana has been very worried, you know."

"Did I... I kissed her, didn't I?"

"I believe so, yes," Hannibal says, and Will groans, resting his head on his knees.

"I can't fucking believe this."

"I can't fucking believe no one figured it out any sooner than this," Hannibal says, and Will laughs.

"I don't feel any different, but it feels like I should."

"I certainly hope you feel better," Hannibal grumbles and Will laughs again.

"I do," he says, touching his forehead in an unconscious way. "I... I should probably shower, but..."

"I'll mark you again when you come out," Hannibal promises, and Will blushes up to his hairline.

"Okay," he says softly, and then flees for the safety and solitude of the bathroom.

Hannibal does some leisurely stretching and is just thinking about coffee when his phone rings. It's Alana, of course, and he answers it prepared to be soothing. "Hello, dear," he says softly, and she lets out a little whimper. A good Beta is always very upset to be unable to help anyone in their orbit through difficulties. "It's all right," Hannibal croons, wishing she were here so he could give her some calming pheromones. "The situation is his to explain, but his fever has broken and he's doing much better."

"Thank God," Alana whispers, and Hannibal sighs.

"Darling, when I'm home again, come and visit me." Alana is probably too stressed and Hannibal too far out of season for it to get sexual, but a night of sleeping in the same bed can be very helpful to a hivemate. Now that Hannibal has his spacious house, he wonders if he should try to build a proper hive at a last. He's past old enough to settle down, and it would probably be good for his Betas.

"Okay," Alana says softly.

"Sweet girl," Hannibal purrs, "it will be okay."

"Okay," she says again, and he takes his leave of her with greatest affection.

Just after Hannibal hangs up, Will comes wandering back in, wrapped in a towel. "Shower's free if you want it," he says, and Hannibal supposes that he does. He grips the back of Will’s neck for a moment as he goes by, the kind of casual touch most Omegas use with their Alphas. Will shivers, and Hannibal can feel his gaze as he makes his way to the bathroom.

It's very neat in here, scrupulously clean and tiled in white and blue, and there are plenty of fresh towels hanging on various racks. The mirrored medicine cabinet contains Will's terrible aftershave, toothpaste, toothbrush, floss, a package of razors, and a giant bottle of aspirin. Hopefully he won't need so much of that, now. It's a happy thought, and he whistles selections from The Magic Flute as he scrubs himself with Will's bar of plain yellow soap.

Coming back out, Hannibal smiles to find Will industriously making coffee. It's what a Beta would probably do in this situation. Hannibal pads over, careful to make some quiet noise before he puts his arms around Will's waist. Will still flinches a little, but then relaxes, and Hannibal can hear his smile when he speaks.

"Hey. I figured you'd want coffee."

"I do," Hannibal murmurs into Will's hair, "and thank you."

He doesn't actually want to let go, but it seems unsafe to make Will shuffle to the table with hot liquids and an Omega hanging onto him, and so soon the two of them are sitting at the little kitchen table like civilized, if towel-clad, people. The coffee is surprisingly good, and Hannibal sips it with real enjoyment.

"So..." Will says at last, staring down at his cup as he gently turns it between his palms.

"Yes?" Hannibal asks, perhaps a little too sweetly.

"...If you're my Omega now, how is that going to work?"

"It's going to work in whatever way makes you comfortable, Will," Hannibal says, and takes another long sip.

"I... uh... is there some kind of hotline for this situation? I've spent my whole life thinking I'm a weird Beta, how am I supposed to deal with being a weird Alpha instead?"

Hannibal smiles. "There are many resources for someone in your situation," he says, "and I'll help connect you to them."


	3. Chapter 3

The whole thing is horribly like going through puberty all over again, sitting there in sixth grade to watch grainy filmstrips about his Changing Body. Not even the right grainy filmstrips, and what even is his life? Will can't deny that ever since Hannibal marked him as an Alpha, he feels better than he has in... possibly ever. At least in his adult life. Being a little kid under the protection of a single Alpha had actually been kinda cozy. He and Dad had made their own little hive of two, and then Dad had died and he had resigned himself to never belonging anywhere again. And now here he is, somehow... enveloped. It's like Hannibal's arms are always around him, never smothering, always comfortable. He has to wonder if it will be as strong when they're not under the same roof, even though he doesn't really want to think about Hannibal leaving.

Sitting here at the computer with the last dregs of his coffee, Will wonders how to ask about that, and has almost worked up the inner strength to do it when Hannibal speaks. "I believe I said that I would mark you again after your shower, Will," he says, and Will does his best not to audibly whimper.

"Yeah," he says, sounding hoarse and strange in his own ears, "you did." 

Hannibal is bent slightly, looking over Will's shoulder at the grandmother of all atypical dynamic support and community sites, so all Will has to do is turn his head and then Hannibal has one hand on the back of his neck and he can hardly breathe. For an interminable moment Hannibal gazes deep into Will's eyes, and then he leans in and Will lets out a pathetic little whine when they make contact. As Hannibal holds it, raw pheromones sticky-slick between them, Will's jaw goes slack and he can taste Hannibal on the air. Hannibal tightens his grip on the back of Will's neck and he moans, feeling himself flush all over with a mixture of lust and embarrassment. Hannibal gives Will's neck a last, loving squeeze, and then lets go, his fingertips caressing the sensitive rim of Will's ear as they go by.

"Fffuck..." Will breathes, and Hannibal lets out a nervous laugh. He's flushed too, and more disheveled than Will has ever seen him.

"Yes," Hannibal says. "I suppose it's unfair to ask now, but may I kiss you?"

Will answers the question with action, pulling Hannibal into his lap. Hannibal shivers, and leans in, both hands on the back of the chair, hemming Will in. He kisses him then, soft and chaste at first and then filthier and filthier as Will gives him nothing but encouragement, making helpless little noises and clutching at the back of Hannibal's shirt. Nothing has ever been this good, and now Will understands how a good pheromone mesh can make people so fucking stupid.

At last Hannibal pulls away just enough to catch his breath. He looks good like this, flushed and wild-eyed, and he smiles. "So, I was hoping to maintain some distance, to leave you room to breathe, but..."

Will tugs him down and kisses him again. "I want to belong to you," he says, and Hannibal shudders all over, closing his eyes like he can't look at Will and stay rational.

"I... I don't have any Alphas in my hive, Will. I would be honored to have you," Hannibal whispers, and gently bites Will's jaw. Despite Will’s best efforts, he lets out another shaky little whine, and Hannibal groans, biting Will's throat and sucking gently as he squirms under him, rock hard and so wet that these boxers are hopeless already. "I really need to leave you alone to do your research," Hannibal mutters, and Will clings to him to keep him from doing anything of the kind.

When Will's phone rings the first impulse is to ignore it, but then he realizes that it might be Alana. He shifts out from under Hannibal and goes to fetch his phone from yesterday's pants. Sure enough, it is Alana, so he answers.

"Hello, Will?" she asks, voice full of Beta anxiety and it's so weird to realize that he never feels like that not because he's disconnected and unlovable, but because he's not actually a Beta. He's not much of an Alpha, either, but at least this way he has something to go on.

"Hey, Alana," he says softly. "I'm sorry about last night. Are you okay?"

"Are _you_ okay?" she snaps, and Will smiles.

"Yeah, I am. I'm sorry I scared you."

"It was more 'for' than 'of,' Will," she says, and he suddenly wants to drive over there and kiss her again.

"I... it's pretty crazy, but I'm doing better than I have a long time," he says, opening the door to let the dogs out and then following them onto the porch, watching as they make their happy way around the yard, smelling things and peeing in all the usual places. "So... I'm not actually a Beta. I haven't gotten the blood tests yet, but..." he can feel himself blushing. "So, uh, Hannibal marked me, and he marked me as an Alpha, not a Beta."

"Oh," she says, and Will is pretty sure she's blushing, too. "Welcome to our hive!" she chirps, and Will grins.

"Thanks, Alana," he says softly, and the words feel completely inadequate for the depth of his gratitude.


	4. Chapter 4

Will and Alana have had a very awkward dance going for some time, so Hannibal is the one to ask her to come over, plucking the phone from Will's hand and murmuring, "Please join us, Alana, we'll understand each other better face to face." Will could snatch the phone back and countermand that, but he doesn't. Instead he lets Hannibal hang up, and blushes and mutters, shuffling his feet.

"Come back inside," Hannibal purrs, and Will does.

Will is still so weak from his illness that Hannibal doesn't want to push him at all, but between simple lust and the power of a new bond, both of them are practically vibrating. He steers Will back to the bed and pushes him down onto it, resting one knee on the edge of the mattress so he can lean down and kiss Will and mark him again, and then get up and go to the kitchen for a pitcher of water and three glasses, bringing them to the bedside table. Will watches him with bright eyes and whines when Hannibal kisses him again. They never did get dressed, so it's easy for Hannibal to reach under Will's towel and gently squeeze his cock, just testing his response. 

Hannibal isn't expecting a knot, but the way Will is noticeably hotter and thicker at the base makes him angry at everyone who has failed to even bring up the idea that Will is an atypical Alpha. He finds the proximal boundary of this area that's almost a knot, a delicate little barely-there groove in Will's flesh. He circles it with thumb and forefinger and then just barely squeezes and tugs in the same movement, a delicate imitation of a tie. Will freezes, breath hitching in his chest and eyes wide. When Hannibal doesn't move, Will moans high and desperate, his eyes fluttering shut as he pours precome. Hannibal chuckles and gently tugs just a little, like a lazy, satisfied Omega might do to really feel their tie, and Will moans, his hands covering his eyes and clutching at his hair as Hannibal keeps working him, pushing into the groove and really feeling the shape of the underlying tissue. It's much more obvious below the skin, and Hannibal tightens his grip a little. The sobbing groan Will makes in response is one of the most beautiful sounds Hannibal has ever heard.

"That's right," Hannibal purrs, and clenches his circled fingers in the slow, heavy rhythm of his own body when he ties, "good boy." 

Will writhes under him and makes helpless, tortured sounds deep in his chest as Hannibal praises him. He takes his hands away from his face to cling to Hannibal's shoulders and he stares up at him, blue eyes wide and almost fevered again. Will's mouth is still hanging open, and his eyes flutter shut as Hannibal pushes three fingers into it, sliding along his tongue and stretching his lips and feeding him more pheromones.

A gentle knock on the door makes both of them jump and the dogs bark. Will looks completely panicked for a moment, and Hannibal smiles down at him. "I'll go and make sure that it's Alana," he says softly, and Will blushes, nodding his assent and then rolling over to hide as best he can without getting out of bed. 

Hannibal chuckles, kissing the flushed nape of Will's neck and then going to the door, where Alana's soft Beta scent is curling in around the edges. He opens it and she walks straight into his arms. He wraps one around her, shutting the door with the other and then hugging her properly. She sighs and slips out of her high heels, wrapping her arms around Hannibal's neck and half climbing up him, half just allowing herself to be gathered up. 

Hannibal nuzzles into her hair, offering her his strongest soothing pheromones. He hears Will gasp, and realizes that for someone so much more olfactorily sensitive than Alana, it must be overwhelming. He turns to the bed with her in his arms, and is very relieved to see that Will is still rock hard and whimpering softly, his own hands all over his chest, caressing that poor starved skin. Alana whines softly, full of a Beta's urge to help, and Hannibal climbs onto the bed to set her down on the far side of Will, so they can bracket him. Will whines sharply at being enclosed like this, and then lets out helpless little voiced exhales as Alana puts her hands beside his, pressing little kisses up by Will's clavicles. He whimpers her name and clutches at her, moaning into her mouth when she kisses him. 

Hannibal is close enough to see the motion of Alana's tongue as she pushes it into Will's mouth, feeding him her own soothing pheromone. Beta soothing factor is strong and syrupy, a scent almost everyone on earth associates with warmth and safety. Will makes desperate, high noises and trembles under Alana's touch, moaning into her mouth when she pinches his nipples, gently exploring him. He has to stop sucking on Alana's tongue to attempt to catch his breath, panting softly at first, and then harsh and fast as Hannibal carefully opens his towel, the fabric brushing Will's cock, so hard and wet that it makes Hannibal ache to look at it. He grips him again and Will cries out, clutching at Hannibal, nails digging into his back and shoulders.

"Please," Will sobs, " _please_ \--" and then interrupts himself with a moan when Hannibal squeezes him and Alana bites his neck. 

They should talk about this more, and give Will plenty of nonsexual touch and affection, but right now he's actually weeping, big tears full of excess bonding factor rolling down his cheeks. Alana laps them up and whispers into Will's ear, praise and encouragement and the tip of her tongue making him writhe. When Will finally erupts all over Hannibal's hand, it seems to be almost more relief than pleasure, tension Hannibal had thought was intrinsic vanishing.


	5. Chapter 5

Hannibal is not at all surprised when Will goes immediately to sleep, and Alana just smiles fondly down at him, pressing a kiss to his forehead before carefully sliding the towel out from under him and arranging the blankets more comfortably. Once she has that done, she leans in and smells him thoroughly, doing her best to figure him out.

"It's subtle but absolute," Hannibal says. "Can you find that sort of bosky quality, with a hint of pepper?"

"...I think so," she murmurs, nosing in under Will's arm. After a while she sighs, and rests her head on Will's chest. "I just wish I wasn't so close to noseblind," she says, and Hannibal touches his forehead to hers, marking her.

"It's not your fault," he croons, "and you got help for him." Just like a good Beta should, and he can see that it soothes her. 

Hannibal smiles, and leans across Will to kiss her, feeding her calming pheromones. She sighs, nibbling at his lower lip, and he can feel the low burn of Beta arousal, a kind of warm, soothing glow, and reaches over to knead her ass a little before slipping that hand up under her shirt, luxuriating in the smoothness of her skin.

Much as they want to keep Will between them where It's safe and warm, Alana climbs across him to settle into Hannibal's arms, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck and making soft, sweet noises as Hannibal carefully slides his fingers into her. He murmurs soft praise into her hair as he coaxes her into a quiet, shuddering orgasm that mists the whole bed with delicious Beta scent. Will murmurs in his sleep and Alana kisses his forehead before sliding down and taking Hannibal's cock into her mouth, humming around it as he pants and shakes, stroking her hair and murmuring praise until he's reduced to a low, formless noise as he comes. Alana purrs, licking him completely clean and then stretching out beside him while they catch their breath.

Will is still sleeping like someone drugged him, so they let him rest, doing a little light cleaning and making sure that the dogs have all the chances to go outside that they need before they undress and tuck themselves in on either side of Will, holding him close. He comes partially awake every now and then, and makes plaintive little noises until one or both of them feed him more pheromones, cuddling even closer, sandwiching Will with hivemates. He makes the sweetest little sounds when they press him between them, and Alana glows with that happy Beta helpfulness. Hannibal smiles at her in the twilight of three a.m., leaning over Will to kiss her, slow and lingering and full of affection. He couldn't ask for a better Beta, and he hopes she knows that.

Will wakes up for real at half-past eight, and greets them both with a shy smile. He seems surprised when Alana kisses him, but quickly melts into it, making a happy little sighing noise that Hannibal needs to hear at least ten thousand more times. For now, he settles for making breakfast while Alana cuddles Will and covers him in kisses. The low murmurs of their conversation and the sweet, natural way their scents mingle makes Hannibal so happy that he has to concentrate to keep from ruining the eggs.

There’s something deeply satisfying in bringing Will breakfast in bed, even more than the usual joy Hannibal takes in feeding a loved one. He makes sure that Will’s plate is comfortably situated before passing Alana’s across to her and climbing into bed with his own meal, so he can lounge shoulder to shoulder with Will, giving him contact with his Omega while he eats. It’s important, especially for a newly-bonded Alpha, but everyone benefits from meeting more than one survival need at once. And having a proper hive is a survival need. Will sets his fork down for a moment, and Hannibal takes the chance to press his forehead to Will’s hair, marking him lightly. Will shivers happily and turns to nuzzle his face into Hannibal’s neck for a while, sighing against the sensitive skin there in a way that is incredibly distracting. Still, Hannibal makes sure that Will eventually straightens up and finishes his food. It’s good to see him clean his plate, when he has been too sick to eat properly for days.

“Startin’ to feel like I could go back to work,” Will mumbles, and Hannibal glares down at him.

“Will,” Alana says, in the consciously sweet, level tone she uses to head off arguments, “you are not ready to go back.”

Will chuckles, and shyly kisses her cheek. “I know,” he says softly. “Besides, Jack owes me some time off.”

“Indeed he does,” Hannibal growls, and collects the plates to keep himself from saying anything regrettable. Jack may be a horrible Omega and Hannibal may want to strangle him, but it won’t help anything to bring that up now. Instead he cleans the kitchen and comes back to keep Will company while Alana showers. Will burrows right in against Hannibal’s chest, and sighs as they both listen to the water run.

“It’s weird how not weird this is,” Will says, and Hannibal chuckles, pressing a kiss to the top of his head.

“It happens like that sometimes,” he says, idly walking his bare feet up Will’s legs, marking him. Will shivers, and kisses Hannibal’s neck.

“I… I guess I need to know who else is in your…. I mean, our hive.” He still sounds a little dazed to be part of a real hive at last, and Hannibal kisses him again.

“We can take it one at a time,” Hannibal says, and Will makes a happy little noise, muffled in the crook of Hannibal’s neck.


	6. Chapter 6

Hannibal's hive is a very loose one. Alana sticks close to him because far too few people have been willing to work with her scent difficulties, but Bedelia and Chiyoh both have their own little semi-solitary orbits, he's more babysitting Franklyn than actually keeping him, and technically his sister makes up part of his hive, though all she have to do with this new development is to try to get along with Will when she meets him. The thought of having an Alpha worth swarming with makes Hannibal long to collect Betas in a way he hasn't for years, the feeling warm and ludicrous, fizzing through his body like the best bad idea. He'll have to sit on it for a while, though. Will needs time to get used to being allowed to be himself, and cherished as such.

Will does call several hotlines, register with a handful of websites, and starts to actually look for a dynamic counselor. These are all very good steps, and Hannibal does his best not to interfere with them while making sure that he and Alana get as much time with Will as possible. He's still on what Hannibal has to admit is generous sick leave, whatever else he may have to say about Jack, so Hannibal and Alana can each schedule themselves a few light days, and quietly set up camp in Will’s house. It's very telling, how little Will objects to this. Their clutter fits nicely in his spartan, underpopulated house, and it feels like they've always lived here.

Of course Hannibal has given Will a full list of the other people in his haphazard little hive, so he's not actually surprised when Bedelia arrives. She's standing on the porch with a small smile, perfectly put together from head to toe, as always. Introducing herself is almost decoration, since she smells so much like Hannibal.

"Uh, hey," Will says, shy and gawky but perfectly hospitable. He stands aside to let her in, and her smile widens. The dogs are delighted to meet her, and have good enough manners that the feeling is mutual. "Shake hands with the lady," Will tells Winston, and he politely holds up a paw. Bedelia chuckles and takes it. She goes to wash her hands afterward, but not vengefully.

Bedelia doesn't bring much clutter with her, but she claims a little space in the kitchen for a few bottles of good wine, and some in the bathroom for her moisturizing routine, complex and involved even to Hannibal's eyes. All of this is, on paper and according to many respected professionals, is completely wrong. Will is supposed to be left alone to think, but being left alone to think is what left him such a mess, so Hannibal doesn't feel too guilty about comparatively inundating Will with his new hive. 

Will certainly doesn't complain, and when asked, on the morning of Bedelia’s second day in residence, looks terrified at the prospect of being left alone with the dogs again. Hannibal cups Will's face in his hands and presses their foreheads together, marking him as he explains how little he wants to leave Will alone, that he just wanted him to know that he has options.

“Fuck all my options to be alone,” Will mutters into Hannibal’s shoulder, clinging to him. 

Will is only wearing a pair of boxers, and Hannibal is doing the same, since skin-to-skin contact is so helpful to Will. Even Bedelia has been lolling around in barbaric splendor. For her, that means a designer negligee and a diamond pendant, but Hannibal appreciates her dedication to the cause. Now she leaves her laptop on the kitchen table and comes to join them. Will is in Hannibal’s lap by now, so it’s easy for her to make contact with them both, cuddled in against Will’s bony flank and kissing Hannibal’s hand when he puts one arm around her. Between them, Will shivers and sighs, going limp. He has been doing this periodically. It’s a normal symptom for a hivesick Alpha during such a rapid acclimatization period. Bedelia kisses Will’s neck, chuckling at the formless little noise he makes. Hannibal just rubs his back, smiling as Bedelia’s little hand joins his own.

“Such a sweet boy,” Bedelia murmurs at last, and Hannibal chuckles, propping Will up and leaning around to kiss her.

“I’m glad you like him so much, beloved,” Hannibal says, and rests his forehead against hers, scent-marking her. Will whimpers softly at the fresh burst of pheromones, and Hannibal and Bedelia stretch him out on the bed. Alana is due back soon, and the three of them wait for here, Bedelia and Hannibal snuggling Will as he slowly, slowly swims up out of his daze, eyes dilated and a little glassy.

“There you are,” Hannibal murmurs, and kisses Will’s cheek. Hannibal is used to his instincts being strong and clear, but the possessive affection that sweeps over him at the sleepy, trusting way Will snuggles into his chest is more than a little overwhelming. Hannibal hugs him tightly and shivers happily, sighing as Bedelia releases more soothing factor. It’s subtle and smoky, with notes of violet and ash that Hannibal has always appreciated, and it makes Will sigh, the sound terminating in a sweet and profoundly unguarded cooing noise. It might be the most beautiful sound Hannibal has ever heard. Untimely knocking at the door is actually almost a relief, even if Hannibal does grumble, arms tightening around Will.

“I’ll get it,” Bedelia says, and slips out of bed to go investigate. The nervous tones of Franklyn’s voice are pretty much decoration for his anxious scent. Will makes a tiny, plaintive sound, hiding his eyes against Hannibal’s heart.

“Shhh,” Hannibal murmurs, “it’s all right.” He doesn’t raise his voice to call Franklyn, instead releasing some gathering factor. Not too much, it would only make Franklyn more anxious, just enough to gently entice him over.


	7. Chapter 7

It’s technically all wrong even for Franklyn to be meeting Will at this point, let alone when Will is still on his way back from what is professionally known as an Alpha overload, but Hannibal believes in tailoring treatment plans for the patient. When Franklyn just crawls into bed babbling something about how he brought goat cheese to share but he doesn’t even know if Will likes goat cheese, Will turns away from Hannibal and wraps his arms around Franklyn.

“Sssshhh,” Will murmurs, stroking Franklyn’s hair. “it’s okay, buddy.” He sounds like he’s talking to a dog, so it probably makes sense how much that seems to ease Franklyn, spaniel of a man that he is. Will hugs Franklyn in silence for a while, and then finally says, “I like goat cheese, thank you for bringing it.”

Bedelia finds some crackers, and by the time Alana joins them, Franklyn is telling Will all about Roquefort and the one specific cave it comes from. Will seems amused, and a great deal more charmed than Hannibal would have expected. He keeps one arm around Franklyn in an unconsciously Alpha way, his arm around Franklyn’s shoulders rather than his waist, more pulling him in to rest against Will’s shoulder than the twined mutualism Betas usually have together. Hannibal wonders anew how anyone ever thought he was a Beta, and tamps down on the anger that comes with the thought, because Franklyn is excruciatingly sensitive to Omega anger. His mother had been a cruel man.

Franklyn must catch a whiff anyway, because he makes a little whimpering noise, and Will turns and presses a kiss to the top of his head. For one moment they exude a beautiful mist of contentment and bonding, and then Will’s acrid embarrassment is everywhere as he scrambles away from Franklyn, apologizing. Bedelia puts her arms around Will as Hannibal does the same for Franklyn.

“You’re part of our hive now,” Franklyn says, “so it’s okay. Right?” he asks, glancing over at Hannibal.

“It’s true,” Hannibal says, “Will may touch you in any way both of you are comfortable with.”

Franklyn blushes, and gives Will such a sweet, shy, Beta look that it’s no surprise to see and smell Will grow calmer, and he reaches for Franklyn again. Franklyn crawls into his arms and sighs, cuddling close. Will exudes a soft cloud of embarrassment, but the contented scent under that is much stronger.

Hannibal lets them relax for a while before gently pointing out that Franklyn is overdressed. He blushes, but sits up enough to take off his shirt. Will helps him with his undershirt, and asks and is granted permission to pet Franklyn’s chest hair.

“So soft,” he says, voice quiet and filled the kind of genuine wonder that Franklyn needs more of. He may be Hannibal’s most troublesome Beta, but a sudden wave of affection for him sweeps over Hannibal, causing him to mist the whole bed with pleased pheromones that make everyone relax even further.

“Th-thanks,” Franklyn murmurs, and cuddles into Will’s arms again.

“Mm. You are soft, dear,” Bedelia says, her hand coming to join Will’s, making Franklyn quiver.

All four of them are still eating crackers in bed (in flagrant violation of all of Hannibal’s usual rules) when Alana gets back. She lets herself in and laughs at the sight of all of them, eyes sparkling. Will blushes and then beams as Alana crawls into bed.

“Feeling better?” she asks softly, rubbing her face along Will’s shoulder to scent him.

“Y-yeah,” Will breathes, flush deepening as he shivers.

“Good,” Alana says, not breaking eye contact with him as Bedelia pulls her blazer off. 

Will reaches out, and then stops, just letting one Beta take care of another. Hannibal can actually see him realizing that this feels right, and beams at him. Will looks like he’s about to laugh, and then shivers all over as Franklyn turns his head where it’s resting on Will’s shoulder to kiss his chest, sweet and shy and like maybe Will won’t know he did it. Even watching Bedelia undress Alana can’t quite distract him, and he shivers, sliding a hand into Franklyn’s hair, guiding him to the nipple. He glances down at his own hand like he can’t believe what it’s doing, but he doesn’t actually hesitate. Franklyn doesn’t, either, and hums as he latches on. Will shudders, panting softly. 

Hannibal finishes putting the crackers away and brushing whatever crumbs he can reach off the mattress, and then moves up behind Will, cradling him back against his chest. Will whines quietly, relaxing into Hannibal’s arms. It’s easy to stroke Franklyn’s hair in this position, too, and Hannibal makes the low, humming noise of a pleased Omega with their hive around them. Bedelia chuckles, gathering Alana close in the same way that Hannibal is holding Will. She’s always the one to say that not just their hive, but Hannibal himself needs an Alpha, and now her eyes sparkle with mischief. Hannibal smiles back at her, and reaches out. She and Alana crawl over to join Franklyn, Alana on his left and Bedelia on his right. Alana nuzzles in beside him to suck Will’s other nipple into her mouth, and Bedelia kisses Hannibal, feeding him bonding factor.

Will shudders and melts, gentle, clumsy hands clutching at everyone. He looks overwhelmed, but in a good way, and Hannibal kisses his cheek and the corner of his mouth before gently guiding his head around to mark him again “Fffuck, please…” Will whimpers, and Hannibal groans.

“Whenever you want,” he breathes, and Will overloads again, going limp in their arms. There’s a little frustrated cloud of Beta arousal as everyone backs off enough to stretch Will out on his back to recover, and Hannibal chuckles.

“Don’t worry,” he purrs, “I’ll take care of you.”


End file.
